Chapter 50: The Execution by Fire (Part Four)

"Burn the monster!" Someone shouted from the crowd in the square, and the cry triggered a tidal wave of voices. Suddenly, as if all had awakened from a trance, everyone clenched their fists, shouting in unison, "Burn the monster! Burn the monster!"

Atop the city gate, Lü Xiangjun urged, "Your Majesty, heed the will of the people and order the fire to be lit."

Gazing at the unrepentant creature atop the pile of firewood, Ji Ye finally spoke, his voice cool, "Proceed."

The imperial guards standing by, upon receiving the command, immediately brandished their flaming red banners of fire.

The Minister of Rites, overseeing the execution, saw the signal and rose from his seat, bowing to Ji Ye. Sitting back down, he drew a fire stick and flung it to the ground, raising his voice, "Ignite!"

Just as the executioner was about to hurl the blazing torch onto the pyre, a young general on horseback raced forward at the last possible moment, shouting, "You must not light the fire!" He drew his bow, his archery so precise that from a hundred paces away he shot the torch from the executioner's hand, sending the flaming oil-soaked stick spinning harmlessly into the air.

The Minister of Rites sprang to his feet, rebuking righteously, "You Wu, how dare you! Do you mean to disrupt the execution ground?"

At the same time, the blade-bearing guards drew their swords, ready for confrontation.

In a rush, You Wu dismounted and cast a quick glance at Daidai, relieved to see she was unharmed. He then turned toward Ji Ye, knelt, and with a voice like thunder, asked, "May I ask, Your Majesty, for what crime is the Empress condemned to burn? What sin has she committed?"

"How insolent! There is no Empress here. The one to be executed is a monster," said the Minister of Rites, speaking for Ji Ye.

"A monster?" You Wu sneered. "You call her a monster?" Pointing at Daidai, he declared sharply, "What I see is a living, breathing human being—my beloved little sister, whom I've cherished since childhood! You call her a monster—who can prove it? Did she eat someone? Did she drink blood? Show me your victims!"

A guard, who had witnessed the events of that stormy night, stepped forward. "She is a snake demon—I saw it with my own eyes. Not just me, our entire squad—fifty men—witnessed it."

"Yes, we saw it," others echoed.

"And what did you see? Did you see my sister transform into a snake? Speak plainly before everyone—did you, with your own eyes, see my sister become a snake? Say it."

The guard hesitated, then shook his head. "She didn't transform, but the snakes obeyed her." He wasn't trying to make things difficult for Daidai, nor was he under anyone's orders; he had simply been terrified by the scene, and the only explanation that made sense to him was that only a snake demon could command such creatures. Thus, he believed the accusation sincerely.

"Just for that?" You Wu shot the man a scathing look, then dragged out from the crowd a short, middle-aged man spitting melon seed shells and watching the spectacle. Fixing him with a cold stare, he demanded, "Do you think she's a monster?"

"How would I know? That's just what everyone says."

You Wu snorted, shoving the disheveled man aside, then roughly pulled a child of about three feet tall from the crowd, bending close to press, "Is she a monster? Come with me, let's see for ourselves."

Without another word, he dragged the now terrified boy toward Daidai. The child's eyes, red from fear, stared at Daidai as if wishing to bite a chunk from her flesh. Though You Wu was slender, his strength was considerable—honed from childhood by relentless martial drills with his brothers. His skills were second to none among battle-hardened men.

He climbed the wooden ladder to the pyre, tossing the boy toward Daidai as he berated her, "You Daidai, you want to die, but have you thought about our feelings? Wake up! You are human—a living person. Dreaming of being a monster? Nonsense!"

Gazing at her furious "brother," so real before her, Daidai felt a moment of confusion, unsure of her place in the world.

You Wu, finally exasperated, his fingers itching, pinched Daidai's cheeks hard, twisting until she yelped in pain and tried to dodge.

The crowd below erupted in gossip.

"Why doesn't the monster fight back?" someone wondered.

"Maybe it's just a child," another speculated.

"Could it be that the monster knows human emotions too?" someone else mused.

When You Wu finally released her, Daidai's cheeks were bruised and her eyes brimming with tears.

Hands on her hips, she cried, "Just because you’re my brother in this body doesn’t mean I won’t tell the snakes to bite you! It hurts!"

You Wu, furious and amused, glared at her and mocked, "Who's your brother? Monster, don't go claiming kinship. Aren't you convinced you're a demon? Demons are born of sun and moon essence—they have no brothers. You're supposed to spring from a rock, devour hearts, drink blood, and kill without mercy."

"I've never eaten anyone," Daidai retorted, frowning. "You can't wrong me—I don't even like raw food." Her pearly teeth ground together in frustration.

"Who cares if you eat it raw or cooked?" You Wu snorted, grabbing her hand and making her touch the boy's head. He nudged the child, saying, "Coward, open your eyes and see if your brains are still in your skull."

The boy, only eleven or twelve, was already sobbing with terror. Freed at last, he clutched his head and bolted, howling for his mother.

On the city gate, Lü Xiangjun, seeing the situation change, immediately protested, "Your Majesty, someone is disrupting the execution—why don't you have him arrested? What are you waiting for?" She stamped her feet in frustration.

"If I am not anxious, why are you?" Ji Ye replied coolly, casting her a sidelong glance.

Lü Xiangjun fell silent, shrinking back.

Just then, the snake charmers summoned by the You family began to arrive. On seeing them, You Wu stopped berating Daidai and called out, "Now I understand why you want her burned—it’s just because she can command snakes and pythons. How ignorant you are! In this vast world, nothing is too strange. Today, I’ll open your eyes. My sister is not the only one who can charm snakes. If, after this, you still insist she’s a monster, our You family will say no more."

With that, he vaulted from the pyre like a hawk, exchanged a glance with the one-armed You Wuxue, and left the stage for him.

You Wuxue was a man whose scars only added to his allure. From grandmothers to little girls, all who saw him couldn't help but be smitten. His general’s robe made him look even taller and more striking. Leading over a hundred men and women of various appearances toward the execution ground, he was watched closely by the guarding soldiers. Their captain, coincidentally a former member of the You family’s army, gauged the emperor's ambiguous attitude and, uncertain, turned away in silence. The rest of the guards quietly sheathed their swords, choosing to wait and see.

Unconcerned, You Wuxue fixed his eyes on Daidai and, without a word, leapt onto the pyre. "I am the fourth brother of the so-called monster before you, and the man who just left was her sixth brother. We are all sons of the House of Loyalty and Honor. Those who know our family know what we stand for. For over three hundred years, our clan has lived and thrived in Yanjing. If you slander my little sister as a monster, what does that make the rest of our family—a den of demons? Anyone with sense can see this is a setup, born of envy over our military merit. If you want our glory, we can give it up willingly—there’s no need to sacrifice a woman for it. Enough talk—let me show you something. These people we've gathered from all over are skilled in nothing but charming snakes."

Having finished, You Wuxue sat down beside Daidai, showing not the slightest regard for the emperor.

"Little sister, your fourth brother is thirsty. Do you have anything to eat?" he asked offhandedly, as if the circumstances were entirely ordinary.

Daidai nodded, rummaged through her sleeve, and produced a ruby-red fruit the size of a fist. The moment You Wuxue caught the aroma, his mouth watered. He wiped it quickly with his empty sleeve and began to eat.

Below, the hundred-odd performers began to demonstrate their skills—some played flutes, others blew on leaves, and some brought their own thin-necked snakes for live displays. The spectacle left the onlookers amazed.

"So, you really don't want me to die, do you?" Daidai mumbled awkwardly, scratching her head—she hadn’t washed in days and her hair was greasy.

You Wuxue shot her a sidelong glance. He had intended to give her a good scolding but couldn't bring himself to do it. After finishing his fruit and tossing the pit aside, he said, "Second Uncle told us all about your childhood."

"Oh."

"Oh? That's all you have to say?" You Wuxue smacked her lightly on the back of the head. "You must be out of your mind. Claiming to be a demon—I've never seen a more pathetic one. Why not turn this pile of firewood into gold and prove it to me?"

"I've lost my powers," Daidai sighed.

You Wuxue snorted. "Well, forget being empress. I have plenty of good men under my command—when we get home, I’ll have them line up for you to choose from. No need to tie yourself to a crooked tree."

"I know you're just trying to comfort me. But above us are the emperor, the rules, and the law. I just won't die, that's all."

Author's Note: For the 31st.